Can You Start a Writing Career When You're Over 50?
Chasing the dream of writing when life throws you a curveball and the world says you might be too old
You’re not alone if facing uncertainty and unsure how to move forward. No one is immune to life’s unexpected disruptions. When they happen, you have two choices:
1. You keep going
2. You give up
As a marketing executive with over fifteen years of experience growing brands for tech start-ups and large international companies, I learned to develop plans and find solutions.
Giving up was never an option.
Fortunate to work with CEOs and senior-level executives at industry-leading companies, I knew what it took to guide a company through a meteoric rise. As a marketing executive, I developed strategies and tactics, managed multi-million-dollar marketing budgets, and collaborated with worldwide teams to introduce new products and services or rebrand a company. When there was a problem, my team found a solution.
I worked long hours and traveled extensively for years, spending more time with colleagues than family, but I loved my career and was living my best life.
Until it changed in the blink of an eye.
I became sick as hell
Virtually overnight, I became sick with a mysterious disabling illness that dozens of specialists could not name or treat.
I went from my dream job to being unemployed and sick as hell. From training for my first marathon to struggling to walk across a room.
The story of overcoming life-changing events is the reason behind The Power of Change on Substack, a newsletter about discovering the power to transform your life.
For years, I fought for answers, healing, and a return to the career I loved
Life doesn’t always work the way we plan. In fact, during the next fifteen years, two more unexpected life events led to more uncertainty:
An unexpected divorce and a new role as a single parent to a young child.
Another devastating illness - this time for my 10-year-old.
None of the three life-altering events in my life were run-of-the-mill disruptions, although divorce is one that many know too well.
Each challenge left emotional, physical, and financial scars
When I became ill, I lost the career I loved and financial security.
After my divorce, I lost the ability to trust another, as well as the business we had started.
When my son became ill, I almost lost it all.
What kept me going through these challenges?
Resilience
Perseverance
Faith
An open mind
A growth mindset
A community of support
A belief that we all have a power far greater than we know to overcome life’s challenges. The power of transformative change.
I call it my Adversity Toolkit.
Approaching 50 and what comes next
I became ill at 26, divorced at 44, and faced my son’s illness at 49.
In a youth-obsessed culture, life ends at 50. Twenty-five-year-olds are building businesses, making millions, and traveling the world.
By 40, social media influencers and tech gurus are retiring and enjoying the fruits of their labor. For members of my generation, 50 is when you begin to contemplate how you’ll enjoy retirement.
At 50, I was starting over.
Facing 50 head-on
It would have been understandable if I had given up. But it wasn’t an option I considered.
Age was not a factor. My perspective was.
If you’re over 50, you’ve lived more than 18,250 days. It’s a lot of living, but far from the end.
What I learned in my 50 years led to new beginnings and opportunities I never imagined:
A real estate career that fuels my passion for helping homeowners find their next destination.
A return to marketing through freelance consulting to help writers and entrepreneurs build and grow their brands.
A return to writing after a long hiatus, leading to my contribution to a multi-author bestselling book, published in 2023, My Mess Is My Message II.
The launch of my Substack, The Power of Change, where readers discover their power to accept and create change and learn strategies to overcome adversity while building resilience.
Mom on a Mission
When my only child became ill, I became a Mom on a Mission. For eighteen months, we crossed thousands of miles looking for answers and help. What we found was arrogance and an assertion that his illness must not be real because doctors didn’t know what they were looking at.
The dismissal by the medical community further propelled me to find answers, using my expert research skills honed during my years in marketing and my sharpened intuition developed during my illness. Those skills led me to find and assemble a team of out-of-the-box clinicians who diagnosed my son and started his treatment immediately.
In the process, I found a community of parents and caregivers searching for answers. I uncovered the many flaws of the medical system in the US and learned how to advocate for the care needed.
When I tapped into new communities, amazing things happened:
I realized we were not alone on our journey.
When I knocked on one door, three more opened.
When I stepped out of my comfort zone and admitted I needed help, I was welcomed by mothers, fathers, and caregivers from around the globe who knew the difficult path I walked.
When I shared my vulnerability, I was given a warm embrace by strangers I now call friends.
When I questioned what else I could do to make a difference, I found an answer.
In 2022, my son started to improve
I began to relax long enough to contemplate what was next in my life. The first step was to write about what I had learned and share it with others.
While I had been active on social media for more than twenty years, during my son’s illness, I retreated and kept our story to ourselves. I communicated with my growing network through closed groups on Facebook. But after the pandemic and millions began suffering from long COVID or other chronic illnesses exacerbated by COVID, I realized that our story could help others who were struggling to find their way forward.
Why Substack? A new community
I began documenting our journey to not forget the many details that unfolded over the years. I joined a writing cohort to get support for the memoir I began writing. However, during that cohort, I learned about Substack and was encouraged by a group of successful writers to set the memoir aside and write on Substack instead.
I launched The Power of Change to help others experiencing unexpected challenges realize they weren’t alone.
I committed to writing one post a week on the topics that had helped me and the many others I’d met:
how to develop a growth mindset
the power of a supportive community
the effects of chronic illnesses on relationships
how to embrace change and find joy even during the darkest times.
What I found on Substack was a welcoming family of writers from diverse backgrounds who shared similar stories and lessons.
Again, I was buoyed by the support I felt from strangers around the globe. The more I engaged with others, the more certain I became that sharing life lessons not only improves one’s life but also makes a difference in the lives of others.
The isolation I once felt during our healing journey lessened and turned into camaraderie and fellowship.
With it came a realization that I wasn’t starting over after 50; I was beginning again, this time with 25 years of hard-fought experience, wisdom, and a new perspective on life that included these seven lessons.
7 life lessons for the writing life over 50
1. Everyone has the power to become their best self
Some people achieve it at 30, others at 70. Learning to find meaning in your life is a process. It’s not taught in school. It’s taught by living, and it’s okay if it takes time.
2. You will face challenges
Everyone does. Some have more than others. How you react is the difference between surviving and thriving. Life’s detours teach what you wouldn’t have learned otherwise.
3. Focus on what you can do, not what you can’t
Life is full of moments that question your abilities. Choose to focus on what you can do. Move the needle every day, slowly and steadily. Focus on what’s possible and learn to control what you can- your mindset, reactions, and the people you surround yourself with.
4. Learn to find joy and happiness in the smallest way
It’s easy to be happy when things are going well, but finding joy and happiness when life is challenging is far more difficult. It requires a change in perspective. I used to be a runner. When I couldn’t run because of my health issues, I celebrated walking. I adjusted my expectations. Would I ever run that marathon? Probably not, but I enjoy every step I take.
5. Overcome limiting beliefs
Developing a relationship with yourself is paramount to any other relationship. What motivates you, scares you, or excites you? It begins in your mind. If you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will. Learn to overcome limiting beliefs. If you think you can, you’ll find a way. If you feel you can’t, you won’t even try.
Accept your limitations, but overcome your limiting beliefs. There’s a difference.
6. Practice gratitude
Learning to be grateful has physical, emotional, and psychological benefits. It lowers stress, promotes a positive outlook, and helps you stay motivated. Even during life’s most challenging times, it’s possible to practice gratitude.
Start with small, often overlooked things like a sunrise, a blue sky, or the support of a loved one. Practicing gratitude is a mindfulness practice that will change your life if you’re open to it.
7. Don’t let age define you
Age is only a number. It represents the years you’ve lived. What you do with that time is up to you. Don’t let your age stop you from learning, changing, and becoming the best version of yourself.
Regardless of the number, you’re the perfect age to live your life.
The best is yet to write! Tracy Mansolillo runs The Power of Change on Substack. A newsletter about mindset, healing, human connection, and the pursuit of joy. Subscribe to her publication for more.
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50 is just the beginning. Tracy Mansolillo runs The Power of Change on Substack. A newsletter about mindset, healing, human connection, and the pursuit of joy. Subscribe to her publication for more.
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